Severus' POV

"Daddy? Will you please read to me?" Little six year old Colette cried from her bed. I stood in the doorway.

"I thought mummy was going to read to you?" I asked her in all seriousness. She laughed.

"But daddy, I want youto read to me tonight." She said, pouting her bottom lip at me, fluttering her long, beautiful raven eyelashes. Hermione wrapped her arms around my waist and looked up at me.

"Severus..." She whispered, biting her lip with her knowingly smile I loved. I sighed. I really wanted Hermione to read to her so that she would go to sleep and we could get down to business. I was a very needing man right now.

"Okay, choose a story and daddy will read it." I said, kicking off my shoes. Colette cheered and jumped from her bed. Hermione placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Daddy, can we read this one?" She asked me. I looked at the book. It was the book Dumbledore had given Hermione. I turned and looked at her as she shrugged her shoulders in the doorway. Why did she still have this book from the old fart, left me clueless.

"Okay." I said with a long sigh. Then I remembered there was more than one story in that book, and I'll be damned if I have to read them all. Looking at her little face as she brought the book to me, I winced. "Well, choose one story out of it and we shall read it." I said. She nodded her little head and made an effort to climb up onto her small four poster bed. I lifted her up as she giggled and placed her on the bed. From there, she proceeded to climb under the covers. I looked at Hermione pleadingly as she blew me a kiss.

Winking, she sashayed out of the room. I groaned, that insatiable women was in for it tonight.

"What about this one?" She said pointing to the story 'BabbityRabbityand the Cackling Stump'I smirked, that actually was one of my stories I liked to read over and over as a little boy. I guess Dumbledore did something right for once. Easing my old bones onto her bed, I pulled her to my chest and kissed her forehead.

"Okay darling." Opening the book, I turned to the page, cleared my throat and began reading. She snuggled deeper into my chest, staring at the page full of words intently, I was glad she didn't want to read 'Most Potent Potions', I hear she gives Hermione hell is she refuses to read it.

"A long time ago, in a land far away, there was a kingdom ruled by a foolish King who decided that he should be the only one to have magical powers. He formed an army, which he called the Brigade of Witch-Hunters, and armed them with black hounds."I began.

"Daddy, why did the King do that? Why was he foolish?" She asked me, interrupting my flow. I peered down at her little face.

"Well darling, he wanted to be powerful and he was scared that someone would overrule him, so he wanted to have all of those people captured." I started. 'And killed.'I thought to myself.

"So, kinda kind Vowde-, vowdel-, you know, that mort guy mommy said you had to fight." She said with a smile. I grinned, I loved how she tried her hardest nd my does she have a good memory, like her mother. Hermione is always constantly reminding me to put the toilet seat down. I chuckled.

"Yes, now let daddy finish." I said. She nodded her head and I continued.

"At the same time, he wanted an Instructor in Magic, so he made calls for a wizard or witch from one of the nearby villages to teach him. Of course, nobody dared to volunteer, except for a cunning charlatan who had no magical powers. He convinced the foolish King that he would be able to teach him by performing a few simple tricks. He was then appointed as the Grand Sorcerer in Chief, theKing'sPrivate Magic Master."

"That guys cool daddy." She said. I frowned at her.

"How so?" I asked her. I think she may have gotten the guy mixed up. I sure hope she doesn't like the evil people in stories, for that is not how I am raising my daughter. Maybe she hangs around Draco too much.

"Well, he outsmarted the King and made him believe he was a Wizard." She said simply with a shrug of her shoulders. "Kind of like how you were able to trick that guy into believing you worked for him, when you really worked for the good guys." I paused for a second. How did she know all of this!? I didn't like her knowing of my past... Looks like I was in need of a talk with her mother. "Daddy?" She asked.

"Hmm?"

"The story!" She giggled.

"Oh, right." Clearing my throat again, I began.

"Once in position, the charlatan told the King that he needed money so that he could purchase a magic wand, precious rubies for casting charms and silverchalicesfor storing potions. This was another trick; thecharlatononly wanted the treasures for himself. He stored them in his house and returned to the palace, unaware that he was being watched.Babbitty, theKing'swasherwoman, saw the charlatan snapping two twigs from one of theKing'strees and disappearing into the palace.The charlatan gave one of the twigs to the King, assuring him that it was a powerful wand. A wand, however, that would only work when the King was worthy of its powers."

'God, this story is annoyingly old', I commented mentally to myself.

"Each morning the King and the charlatan practiced in the grounds, shouting nonsense whilst waving around their wands. One morningBabbittywas watching their foolishness from the window of her little cottage. She laughed so loud that the King could hear her, which made him very upset and instantly stop his chanting. He was fed up of practising and wanted results. The King decided that the next day he would invite all the court to watch him performing magic with the help of his teacher. The charlatan tried to back off by saying that he had to go out of town but the King threatened to send the Brigade of Witch-Hunters after him. The King went back to his palace leaving thecharlatonalone and afraid, knowing that the King would not be able to perform magic and he could not help him. Looking to vent his anger and fear he turned to thewasherwoman'swindow.When he saw her (and theKing'ssheets washing themselves in the wooden tub behind her) he knew at once that she was a real witch. He threatenedBabbittythat if she did not help him, he would reveal to the King that she was a witch and the Brigade would then hunt her down.Babbittysmiled and agreed to do all she could to help. The charlatan instructed her to hide behind a bush while the King tried to perform magic."

"That man is a bad man." Collette said quietly. I chuckled.

"I thought you said you liked him?" I questioned. She frowned her face and looked at me.

"Yes, but now he is a bad man, so I do not like him." I nodded my head and continued.

"The next morning all the Lords and Ladies assembled in the palace, coming to watch the King performing magic. The crowd was both amused and astonished by the disappearance of a hat and a levitating horse, all done with the help ofBabbity. Then, the Captain of the Brigade of Witch-Hunters asked the King if he could revive his dead dog. The King waved his wand to perform a spell but nothing happened.Babbittyhadn't even bothered to raise her wand, knowing that magic couldn't bring the dead back to life. The crowd laughed at the King, and wanted to know why his magic was not working. The charlatan pointed at the bush and told the crowd that an evil witch was blocking theKing'smagic.When the Brigade released their hounds to chase her,Babbittyfled from the bush. She reached a low hedge and vanished from sight. When the assembled crowd caught up, they found the hounds barking and scrabbling around a tree. The charlatan told the crowd thatBabbittyhad turned herself into a tree, and that they should cut down the tree. While the tree was being cut down, the crowd started to leave, but suddenly there was a cackling coming from the stump.Babbittytold all of them that a true wizard or witch cannot be cut in half, and she suggested that they should cut the charlatan to prove it. The charlatan confessed all of his wickedness, and he was brought to the dungeon to be punished."

Collette clutched my robes tight in her little hands as I continued. Her eyes were big with fear. I don't blame her, this part used to scare me as well.

"Babbittytold them that because they had cut a witch in half the King was now cursed; he would feel an axe stroke him every time the Brigade harmed a witch or wizard. Fearing the curse, the King declared that no harm would be brought to any wizard or witch again.Babbittyasked the King to build a statue of herself as a reminder of his foolishness. The King promised it would be done and ordered for a statue of her, which would be made of gold, to be erected. After thecrowdhaddispersed, a rabbit appeared out of a hole in the stump with a wand in its mouth.Babbityhad been hiding in the stump the whole time. She left the kingdom but forever after the statue ofBabbittyremained on top of the stump, and no witch or wizard was hurt in that kingdom ever again. The end."

Looking down at Collette, I noticed that she had fallen asleep. I smiled, it was the beautifullest sight you could ever see. The way her little eyes moved behind her eyes lids was enough to make me want to stay there and hold her all night, but my mind begged to differ.

Sitting forward, I placed the book on her night stand and moved her ever so softly and slowly off of me. Tucking her under the covers, I placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Good night, love." I said quietly. She slowly rolled over onto her side and let out a soft breath of contentment. Turning out the light, I crept slowly to the doorway and closed it quietly behind me.

Sighing, I walked into the master bedroom and threw myself onto the bed. Closing my eyes, I thought of how fortunate I was to have a beautiful daughter and wife. I couldn't have asked for more.

Our bathroom door creaked open and out walked Hermione with wet hair and her silken robe on. I smirked. She had just finished showering and I could already smell her heavenly body from across the room; Sweetpeas and Lavender.

She smiled at me and walked over to where I lay. "Is she asleep?" She asked. I sat up off of the bed and pulled her body to me. I began placing kisses on her shoulders. She laced her fingers in m hair and moaned. Using my hands, I pulled the tie of her robe and pushed it aside to reveal a very enticing outfit underneath. I growled.

"Daddy?" A little voice rang from the door way. Hermione quickly pulled away and covered herself up. I cleared my throat as a deep crimson blush made its way to mine and her cheeks. Hermione tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Yes sweetheart?" She asked her. Collette was standing in the doorway with her blanket and a worried look.

"I can't sleep." She said. I sighed. Hermione turned and looked at me, mouthing 'I thought you said she was asleep!?' I shrugged my shoulders.

"Mummy will lay down with you." She said with a smile. Collette shook her head.

"No, I want daddy to." Hermione looked at me and I sighed. Sitting up, I walked over to Collette.

"Come on darling." Walking into her bedroom, I got her tucked into the covers again and lay beside her, holding her tightly to my chest. Looks like I wasn't getting the night I wanted.

Closing my eyes, I lowly drifted off to sleep.

Hermione's POV

After Severus left with Collette, I decided to wait for him to come back.

That was a very close call. If he hadn't been such an eager fool to leave her, she wouldn't have interrupted. So, grabbing a book off of my nightstand, I lie in bed and began to read.

And hour turned into two hours of him not being back, so sighing, I got out of bed and walked to Collette's room. Opening the door slowly, I peeked my head in to see Severus holding her, snoring as she lay across his chest.

I smiled to myself, it was the dearest sight I had ever seen. Closing the door quietly behind me, I ventured my way back into our bedroom and got into bed.

"Hermione, you are one lucky witch." I said to myself.

The End